Pacquiao vs. Broner Preview

Few are picking Broner to defeat the living legend, and Vargas sides with the majority.

Broner is usually in tip-top shape but easily distracted. But he’s not fighting a bum in January. He’s facing Manny Pacquiao…

The date and venue remain fluid, much like the participants on their best night, but if all goes according to plan, on Saturday, January 19, 2018, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Manny Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), the future Hall-of-Famer from General Santos City, Cotabato del Sur, Philippines, fights a warm-up prior to the rematch with Floyd Mayweather against Adrien Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs), the mercurial former three-division champion from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Few are picking Broner to defeat the living legend, and Jesse Vargas, having fought Manny in 2016 and Broner in April of this year, sides with the majority.

“I think Pacquiao takes it,” Vargas told EsNews. “I think he’s the more experienced fighter of the two. I’d have to say Pacquiao takes it. Who hits harder? I’d say Pacquiao is the stronger fighter and faster and more explosive. Two different fighters, you can’t really compare them because they fight differently. It’s two different styles. When it comes to defensive, they’re both good, they’re defensive, Pacquiao’s just faster in everything he does.”

Broner needs a win. He held his own against Mikey Garcia in a 2017 unanimous decision loss, before drawing against Jessie Vargas in his last outing, Although he stopped only one of the last 10 men he has faced, having left his power behind when he moved up in weight, he might get lucky against Pacquiao. Juan Manuel Marquez did it when he and Manny fought their last of four fights in 2012, but luck had nothing to do with it, and Broner, even if he were juiced to the gills, will not be mistaken for Marquez.

“Manny Pacquiao is on another level because he’s fast, explosive, he’s very versatile and he fights with different angles,” added Vargas. “Manny Pacquiao has to win as well, he wants to prove himself. If he wins this fight he fights Floyd Mayweather so he has an extra incentive to win this fight. Either way you look at it it’s a good fight.”

Andre Ward agrees.

“Broner better come ready,” he said to Fight Hub. “Pacquiao’s got the skills to beat anybody, man. He’s just got to put it all together. Pacquiao can’t afford another loss so it’s going to be a good fight. It’s crazy. Pacquiao has had something like 70 odd fights. It doesn’t look like he’s slowing down either. Man, it’s crazy.”

That’s high praise for Pacquiao who, even at 38 years of age, is still fighting to win. So Ward has some advice for Adrien Broner.

“Broner’s got to be in tip-top shape,” said Ward. “Lifestyle shape. Just execute, man. Let his hands go. He’s economical in his output.”

Broner is usually in tip-top shape but easily distracted. But he’s not fighting a bum in January. He’s facing Manny Pacquiao and best be prepared.

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broner is one of the most consistent and dependable fighters in boxing today. the dude chokes or underachieves in every competitive matchup. he finds a way to lose or draw even when he brings superior skills to the match.

this may be a little different—pacquiao is such a quantum leap above broner that AB may actually try to win, since he cant, so no risk there.